This variation on the classic is a lighter, slightly frothy sauce rather than a full-blown Bird's Dream Topping copy. Much better warm than cold, it's fantastic with rhubarb crumble or apple, lightly sweetened and without sugar, in various stages of compote. Using an electric whisk will save you a lot of time, but the anglaise is more delicate when you whisk it by hand and you can feel the change in texture more easily. Wrap a tea towel around the rim of the saucepan and bowl, then use another hand to hold a corner of the towel over the bowl to stop it spinning around. Whenever I make this, I use a metal bowl, but there's no reason it won't work with glass or Pyrex, although the timings might increase.

3 egg yolks

3 good tablespoons of caster sugar. It should look like there's about equal quantities of sugar and egg yolks.

1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla equivalent, to taste

250ml milk

Warm the milk and vanilla together over the smallest flame you have in a saucepan.

As the milk warms, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until the sugar dissolves and the mix turns pale and thick.

Strain the hot milk over the egg yolks, whisking as you pour. Refill the saucepan with water for a bain marie.

Put the bowl over the saucepan, draping a towel over the rim to stop steam burns. Use a corner to hold the bowl.

Whisk the anglaise constantly for about 10-15 minutes, checking the water level from time to time.

If lumps start forming, strain the anglaise again but don't push the solids through.

When it thickens, becomes frothy and the bubbles stabilise, take it off the heat and keep whisking for a minute.

It's best served hot, but can keep and reheat. It loses the air bubbles after about half an hour but whip them back in over a low heat if you have to.